The present invention is directed to to a device for gripping and/or clamping flexible plates on a cylinder of a rotary printing press. The flexible plate has beveled suspension legs which project into a fastening slit of a cylinder. A groove in the cylinder is in communication with the slit and carries a pivotable profiled strip. The strip uses three strip-shaped arms to clamp the plate end.
A device for fixing a flexible printing plate on the forme cylinder of a rotary printing press having at least one cylinder groove extending in the axial direction is known from DE 43 35 140 C1.
In this prior art device, a first, or leading suspension leg, which is beveled at an acute angle, is suspended at an edge of the first groove wall of the cylinder groove of the forme cylinder. A second, or trailing, suspension leg can be placed against the second groove wall, extending approximately in the radial direction of the forme cylinder, of the cylinder groove. The cylinder groove contains a spindle which is pivotable around its axis. Two leaf springs, each of which is distributed over the width of the printing plate, are fastened on the spindle and can be brought into, or out of contact with the suspension legs in the course of pivoting of the spindle.
The object of the present invention is directed to creating a device for gripping and/or clamping a flexible plate provided with bevel suspension legs on a cylinder having slit fastenings of a rotary printing press.
In accordance with the invention, this object is attained by providing a pivotable profiled strip in the cylinder groove of the cylinder to which the plate is to be attached. This strip is comprised of three profile strip shaped arms. A first one of these arms can be moved against a spring force by an air hose. A second arm can be pressed against one of the plate""s suspension legs. The third arm uses a gripping roller to press against the other one of the plate""s suspension legs.
The advantages which can be obtained by the present invention consist, in particular, in that a rugged, simply constructed device, which can be produced costeffectively, is created. The device in accordance with the present invention can be displaced, without the turning of a spindle, in only two positions. A further advantage of the present invention lies in that in its axial extension it can consist of several short base bodies. It is possible, because of this, to remove the device laterally piece by piece from the cylinder groove, for example for maintenance purposes, without having to dismount the cylinder from the lateral frame. An automatic plate feeding and removal, through the use of known devices, is possible.